Effect of dietary simvastatin and L-carnitine supplementation on blood biochemical parameters, carcass characteristics and growth of broiler chickens

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of simvastatin (SIM) and L-carnitine (LC) additives and their interactions, on productive performance and carcass quality of broilers. For this purpose, a feeding trial was conducted, under 3×3 factorial design, using SIM at 0, 1 or 2 g/kg level and LC at 0, 150 or 300 mg/kg level in a basal-diet and originating a total of nine treatments: T1 (control-diet, 0/0), T2 (0/150), T3 (0/300), T4 (1/0), T5(1/150), T6 (1/300), T7 (2/0), T8 (2/150), and T9 (2/300). Feed intake was higher in T2 (4716 g), T7 (4722 g) and T9 (4698 g) than in T1 (4545 g; P<0.05) considering the last growing phase (35-42 days) or whole 42-day production cycle. An improvement of feed efficiency was also observed in T8 (1.64) and T9 (1.67) when compared to T1 (1.77; P<0.05), and these were mainly due to SIM × LC interactions (P<0.05). The LC influenced positively (P<0.05) the weight of eviscerated carcass, breast, drumsticks and abdominal fat, as well as plasma triglycerides level. This findings suggests that the combination of SIM and LC additives have a positive influence on growth performance and carcass traits of broiler chickens

Trends in Natural Decannulation in Patients with Robin Sequence: A Twenty-five Year Retrospective Review

OBJECTIVE: Robin sequence (RS) consists of micrognathia and glossoptosis that result in upper airway obstruction (UAO). In RS patients who undergo tracheostomy, long-term goals include natural decannulation (ND) without further surgical airway intervention. The objective of this study was to identify long-term trends in the rate and length of time to ND. METHODS: Retrospective chart review on 144 patients with RS treated from 1995 to 2020 at a pediatric tertiary care center. Patients were grouped by year of tracheostomy. Demographic data, UAO management, postoperative care, complications, and time to decannulation were recorded. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients met the inclusion criteria. Tracheostomy was performed at a median age of 45.5 days. 19 (53%) patients experienced ND at a median time of 66.1 months. ND rate was higher in non-syndromic patients (93% non-syndromic vs 27% syndromic;  \u3c .0001) and during the first study period (1995-2006: 78%, 2007-2020: 28%;  = .003). Cox proportional-hazard regression demonstrated that white race [aHR 0.15 (0.03-0.8);  = .023] and higher birthweight [aHR 0.9 (0.8-0.98);  = .018] were associated with a higher likelihood of ND while a syndromic diagnosis had a negative association with ND [aHR 12.5 (3.3-50.0);  \u3c .001]. CONCLUSIONS: Our study documented that ND in patients with RS who underwent tracheostomy was significantly associated with ethnicity, birthweight, and syndromic status. The negative impact on successful ND was most observed in patients with syndromic associations. Additionally, ND rates are lower in the 2007 to 2020 subgroup. We suspect this is because alternative management techniques such as tongue lip adhesion and mandibular distraction osteogenesis became primary surgical treatment in severe RS upper airway obstruction at our institution starting in 2007

Designing online assessment tools for disengaged youth

This article reports on the development of online assessment tools for disengaged youth in flexible learning environments. Sociocultural theories of learning and assessment and Bourdieu’s sociological concepts of capital and exchange were used to design a purpose-built content management system. This design experiment engaged participants in assessment that led to the exchange of self, peer and teacher judgements for credentialing. This collaborative approach required students and teachers to adapt and amend social networking practices for students to submit and judge their own and others’ work using comments, ratings, keywords and tags. Students and teachers refined their evaluative expertise across contexts, and negotiated meanings and values of digital works, which gave rise to revised versions and emergent assessment criteria. By combining social networking tools with sociological models of capital, assessment activities related to students’ digital productions were understood as valuations and judgements within an emergent, negotiable social field of exchange